A signboard near a guardhouse in USJ 16, Subang Jaya, gives a false
impression by carrying emblems of the police and the Subang Jaya Municipal
Council. óNST picture by Azahan Rosli

PETALING JAYA: The Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ) will not prohibit
guardhouses and gantry barriers in non-gated residential areas -- at least
for the moment.

President Datuk Adnan Md Ikshan said the council had delayed acting against
residents' associations that had erected such barriers in their
neighbourhoods.

"We have adopted a wait-and-see attitude for the simple reason that these
structures have been erected for security reasons.

"Our stand has been that as long as there are no complaints from the public
about these structures, we will compromise and not take action unless we are
compelled to.

"But we will not hesitate to take action if the structures obstruct traffic
or if they are dangerously located."

Adnan was commenting on the order by Penang Island Municipal Council to the
Residents' Association of Jesselton last Tuesday to remove barrier gates and
guardhouses in the exclusive area of Jesselton Heights.

Guardhouses and gantry barriers are common in housing areas in cities,
especially in upper-end neighbourhoods.

Residents' associations also pool money to hire guards to patrol their
neighbourhoods.

Adnan said that save for a few incidents in USJ where the council had
ordered some of the barrier gates to be removed following complaints from
the public, it had not come down hard on others.

He added that it was, however, not right for guards at these guardhouses to
ask for identity cards and deprive entry to outsiders who declined to
provide details.

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan had stated that structures
which obstructed public roads should be removed.

Interestingly, some of the signboards at these "check points" in USJ have
the police and the council's logos on them.